June 2013

​Eggs in kitten fecals

These eggs (averaging 98-134 x 62-68 µm) were found in the feces of a litter of kittens taken to an animal shelter. What are they?

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Answer:​These are eggs of Alaria sp., a trematode of dogs, cats, and various wild carnivores. The life cycle of this fluke involves an aquatic snail first intermediate host and a frog second intermediate host. Mammal, snake, and bird paratenic hosts can also be involved in transmission. Additionally, transmammary transmission in cats has been reported. These eggs are best recovered by fecal sedimentation procedures, but may occasionally be detected in fecal flotations. ​